The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-11-01
MARlKI GLAlMg.

ed paper, wherein the new Govern
ment was severely censured for pay
ing the Mokiki claims, and, since
mine was the largest of those claims
and often heard the opinion ex-
pressed since then by people, that /
had received too large a sum,
namely, So, 900 for my property, !
would thank you for stating the
facts of my case to the public in
general, as well as to the writer Of
said publication especially through
your columns.
My property consisted OF 52 acres
Of land with two houses, the latter
costing me $500 to build; l had
constructed a good carriage road,
about one mile long, to the place at
an expense of over 81, 900, planted
5000 young coffee trees, 5000
bananas and various other fruit
trees, and there was timber enough
on the place for fencing and fire.
wood to last me my lifetime; 1t was
all fenced in, partly by a stone wall
and for all this, including running
creek and several springs of water,
the jury, after investigation, award
ed me the sum of $4,000, that is,
about SCI per acre. The remaining
$4,000 the same jury awarded me
for damages sustained in conse-
quence of the fact, that the then
Minister of Interior, Mr.. Simon
Kaai, had, even without notifying
me of his intention, hume con-
structed and carried through my
property, thereby committing a tres
pass, and leading the water off from
my planted crop of taro, leaving it
dry and running the same, and max
ing 5-acre lot of my best land
useless to me; had paid out $500
in eleven months on it for Chinese
labor and besides myself and family
had worked hard on it. Before that
l had tried to start milk ranch; l
owned 80 good milk cows already
and brought 20 to 30 quarts of milk
to town daily on a saddle horse. l
intended to buy wagon and increase
the quantity to 40 or 30 quarts,
which would have brought me a
handsome income, when Mr.. Carter
became Minister of Interior and had
all the cattle in Makiki valley caught
up and taken to the Government
pound; his paniolos took six cows
and two horses out of my premises
in my absence, and when l COM
planned to him about it, he told me
to get my cattle out of the pound,
pay the expenses and charge them
to him in my claim, since the gov
eminent would buy my land shortly ;
in the meantime i would have TO
sell my COWS, because they made the
water dirty, which was running into
the reservoir. l promised to do so
within one week and l did, but be-
cause people knew that l was OBJ
liged to sell, obtained only very
low prices. One week later Mr.,
Carter, Mr.. Cleghorn, Mr.. Kenney
and Mr.. Sterling (the latter as ex-
pert) and several other gentlemen
came up to my place to investigate
and consult about the feasibility of
boring an artesian well, and the
last named gentleman was so certain
of success in this venture that he
could almost hear the water rushing
in that dried-up valley. Mr.. Carter
told me consequently that he wanted
to try and obtain a sufficient guam
tity of water by boring the artesian
well, and If he failed in this then it
would still be time enough to buy
my land and water rights; to in
demnify me he would pay me the
sum of $1,000 for the removal of
my cattle and would give me the
position as arborist or forester with
salary of $500 to $500 per year.
The latter generous offer l refused
on the spot, observing that l could
do better by working on sugar
plantation where | would get at
least my meals thrown In. | had to
pay $22 taxes per year, and
everything I tried, to make living
on the place was frustrated by the
Government, and every just think
ing man must admit that this offer
was not sufficient indemnity for
the destruction of my well-paying
milk business.
Thus l was fooled by one Minis
ter after the other, one administra-
ton after another, week after week,
month after month, and year after
year, with promises that they would
buy my property. At last / went to
His Majesty the King, told him the
story of my wrongs and offered him
the place for sale, asking 81, 400 for
it. The King, after having visited
it in company with his Adjutant,
Mr.. Parker, and seeming to be
we'll pleased with it, offered me
$4,000 cash, and asked me to come
to the Palace and bring my deed
along. Next day, after examining
the papers to his satisfaction, he
renewed his offer, but wanted to
pay me only half in cash and give
me his note for the other half. l
refused, mentioning that wanted
to go to the United States and try
to realise on my invention. His
Majesty offered to attend to this
for me for consideration of ten per
cent, which also refused, remark
ing that ! was able to attend to 1t
,,o,coIf and with fhot 7 too1y INV